This soup has a Southwestern flavor to it from the cumin and cilantro. The onions and tomato give the soup some sweetness, and the crispy cubes of slightly bitter squash contrast nicely.
INGREDIENTS:
4-5 firm summer squash, cleaned and cut into roughly 1-inch cubes 6-8 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, juices reserved, cut into 1 inch dice 1 large brown onion, cut into ½ inch dice 2 stalks celery, washed and chopped finely 2 cloves garlic, minced, plus 2 cloves quartered lengthwise ½ cup cilantro stems, chopped ¼ cup cilantro leaves, snipped with scissors 1 medium potato such as Yukon Gold, etc., peeled and cut into fine dice Salt and pepper to taste ½ teaspoon each cumin and coriander seed, toasted and powdered 1 teaspoon dried oregano Olive oil as needed Vegetable stock as needed Plain yogurt for garnish, around 4 tablespoons ¼ cup pepitas, chopped coarsely 1-2 lemons for juice + one cut into wedges for squeezing Optional-Cilantro oil if you have it for garnishMETHOD:
Put the cut squash into a bowl and drizzle with enough lemon juice to lightly coat it. Season with salt and pepper and half the herbs and spices. Toss well to evenly distribute the seasonings. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat. Leave out at room temperature to marinate.
Heat a 10-12 cup pot over medium heat. Film with oil and when hot, add the onions and celery. Cook until “clear” and very soft without browning the vegetables.
Make a well in the center and add a shot of oil. Add the minced garlic, half the herbs and spices, and cook until fragrant. Add the cilantro stems and cook until no longer raw. Make room in the center of the pot and add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices. Turn up the heat to medium-high and cook the tomatoes, breaking them down and caramelizing them a little. Once they start breaking down and get a little color, but before the onions brown, add enough stock so the total volume in the pot equals around 8 cups. Reduce heat to a simmer and gently cook without boiling.
Once everything is tender and the tomatoes have broken down, puree the soup in a blender. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in two batches. Trying to add too much to the blender may result in a lumpy puree and also may cause hot soup to spray out of the blender! The blender should have at least 2-3 inches of head-space to allow for expansion. As a precaution, put a towel over the top of the blender and starting on low, puree the ingredients. Wipe out the pot the soup cooked in, and return the soup to the pot and keep warm over medium-low heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. (See Chef’s Notes for ideas.)
While the soup stays warm, heat a very large sauté pan over medium-high heat. While it heats, drain the squash from any liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Salt the squash. When the pan is hot, liberally film the pan bottom with oil, around 1/8th inch deep. Add the garlic slices and cook to flavor the oil with the garlic, being sure not to burn it. It should be golden at its darkest. Remove the garlic to a paper towel and save the chips for garnish.
Add the squash cubes to the pan without crowding them. Fry so each side turns brown and blisters a little, tossing and turning to get each side. As soon as they are cooked on each side, they should be done. The cubes should still have a little crunch to them, but they should not taste raw. Remove the squash from the pan as they are done and reserve on a sheet pan lined with paper or foil. Cook the rest of the squash in this way if there is more. Once all the squash is done, squeeze fresh lemon juice over all the squash and toss to coat. Keep warm.
Divide the squash cubes amongst 4 shallow soup bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowls so the squash just peeks above the surface. Scatter with the pepitas and cilantro leaves, and a spoonful of yogurt to the center of each bowl. Drizzle with Cilantro oil or pass the olive oil and lemons for each diner to doctor the soup if they wish.
Chef’s Notes:
You could add strips of fried corn tortilla or green onions if you wish for a crunchy contrast. Depending on the tomatoes, the seasonings may need a little tweaking. If the tomatoes are not quite ripe, sugar and/or vinegar might be needed to correct the flavors. Sugar will help mitigate the acid and metallic flavor some under-ripe tomatoes possess, and little vinegar can make the flavors pop if there is enough sugar but the acid is weak.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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